Save Me From the Pirates
by Ldrmas
Summary: Adopted and Taken over form the lovely MidnightSchemer13. First 9 chapters are hers rest are mine. Katara is kidnapped by pirates, and Zuko saves her! But Katara has a strange disease and its haunting her; can Zuko save her again? The story of what happens next&whether or not Aang will let them have a happy ending! Will have lemons later chaps.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi. This is my first story uploaded, but I've fixed some errors in the first chapter. If you DO NOT like Zutara, well, you see that button up there? Underneath where it says File, Edit, View, and all that? It's an arrow pointing to the left, which is read by Westerners and several other people as BACK. Yep, it's the back button! Click to return to your previous page! Isn't it a great invention? Hahaha (sorry if that sounds mean, but I know a LOT of people do not ship Zutara) I'd appreciate it if you didn't take any offense seriously. I just have a different perspective and way of communicating with the world :)**

**Constructive criticism is welcome. Feel free to email me if you want, I do write stories upon request or for birthdays. :)**

**Flames feed the fire of my writing... possibly. Enjoy~!**

_I hope you enjoy as well! Let's get started! XD_

Save Me From the Pirates

~Chap 1. Interesting Findings~

Fire Lord Zuko sighed and looked up to the clear blue sky as if to call for help. Once again, Iroh had lost a Pai Sho White Lotus tile, and was searching the entire ship for it.

"Nephew, maybe it is in your room!" Iroh said, and walked off toward Zuko's quarters. Zuko threw his hands up in the air and followed, annoyed that they were wasting time searching for a simple lotus tile. But, Iroh was his uncle, and when he was set on something, it was very difficult to change his mind without a good reason.

"Uncle, are you sure it's not in your sleeve like last time?" Iroh shook his head and continued searching. Then he got an idea.

"Captain, would you mind docking the ship at the nearest port, please?" The captain nodded.

"Yes, sir."

Satisfied, the old general turned to his impatient nephew.

"Fire Lord Zuko, do you think you could find and buy another White Lotus tile, please? Here's some money" He said happily and handed over the coins needed for even the rarest Pai Sho piece.

Zuko, grumbling though glad that he would be on land for a few hours, accepted the money and offered a tiny smile at his uncle. He shook his head at his bodyguards, telling them that he wanted to go alone, but gave them permission to leave the ship for two hours. And with that, he left his ship walking into the crowed village.

The port was busy, with several stalls set up here and there, bustling with people who wanted to buy their merchandise. There were beautiful jewelry stalls, pottery stalls, food shops full of exotic fruits; it was a refreshing change to the iron grey, gold, and deep red of his ship. He searched for what seemed like hours, going to pretty much every store that would be likely to sell a Pai Sho tile, but could not find a single one. Frustrated, the Fire Lord turned to return to his ship, but then someone called out his title.

"Looking for something, Your Highness?"

Zuko turned to the voice. He saw a thin, weasel-like shady man who was grinning. Zuko counted four gold teeth. He wore a ragged, red shirt, several pieces of gold jewelry, long black hair, old worn pants, a silk sash as a belt, and more than a few knives.

'Pirate.' Immediately thought Zuko, his features quickly frowning, at the exact thought. He approached cautiously. The man seemed to notice his wariness, and shook his head, leering.

"Your Highness, do not shy away! We will not kidnap or harm you, we would just like to show you some choice items that we have in stock today! Rest assured you will walk free from this ship unharmed if you come in."

'What the heck.' Thought Zuko, there IS a small chance that they have a lotus tile… The pirate ushered the Fire Lord in, and showed him to the first lower deck. There were small trinkets, like rings and useless pretty items, shells, carved ornaments, and tiny statues. Zuko looked all over for a Pai Sho tile, but the pirate did not have any. He was shown to the second lower deck (after all, it was a large pirate ship), and saw clothes and expensive silks, ancient scrolls, and furniture. A few more pirates came out and tried to persuade him into buying something. Zuko cocked his head, and said no. Tired, he made to leave, but the first pirate blocked his way.

"Your Highness, do not leave yet, we have one more thing we would like to show you." Seeing that it wasn't a question, Zuko sighed and nodded. The pirates smirked and led him down to the brig.

Zuko stiffened. The brig was filled (but not completely) with men, women, and children, manacled and gaunt, looking up at him with pleading eyes. The Fire Lord's minds raced. On one hand, he could attack the pirates and free all the people, but he had no idea how many pirates there were, and even if he did free the slaves, where would they live or take shelter? On the other, he could invade the ship with his men and force the pirates to return the people. He looked at all the people and turned to the pirates.

"Would His Highness like to buy a slave?" The man asked, his eyes menacing but still they shown with ultimate cruelty.

'Never trust a pirate, never trust a pirate, never trust a pirate' Was all the lord's mind could scream at him repeatedly. Zuko opened his mouth to say no, but it immediately closed shut when he took notice of a certain girl out of the corner of his eye. She was looking away from him, glaring at the pirates with ocean blue eyes. Her skin was dark, mocha colored, and she was wearing an increasingly familiar blue necklace…

"Katara?"

The brown haired girl looked up too fast when she heard the familiar sound, hurting her neck by doing so. Wincing, she lifted her hand up to her neck and rubbed it, before looking at the man who had uttered her name. Katara's eyes went wide. Zuko pointed at her. "That one, and make it quick," He almost growled, though didn't want to in front of the pirates, in a cold voice. The pirates couldn't help but snicker as one of them went forwards toward the bars.

"That 'un be a fierce 'un, Highness, ye sure?" Added one of the older pirates. Zuko nodded and conjured a ball of fire in his hand, threatening them with it. The orange-yellow light burned brightly in the dank brig, and many of the chained people looked at it warily.

"I said, make it quick."

The pirates scampered, hurriedly unlocking the Waterbender's chains and leading her by a leash to Zuko, who paid them fifty gold coins. The pirates greedily snatched the money from him, grinning like drunken fools. The gold glittered in the fire's light. Zuko glared at them with disdain, and carried the girl to the top deck, and shot out a flame-signal, a billowing tower of blue-white flame reaching to the sky, narrowly missing the sails. Instantly, Fire Nation soldiers who had followed their Fire Lord just in case swarmed the ship, ready to attack. Zuko nodded a thank you at them and looked at the shocked pirates.

"You know that the selling, buying, trading, and capturing of slaves is illegal! Therefore, as Fire Lord, I command you to return these people to their villages, towns, and cities, and never again deal in slavery! You Damned pirates." He said, his voice dripping with contempt and anger at them. He turned to his men.

"Make sure they are taken care of, please," He commanded though his men were more than happy to jump on the filthy excuse for human beings. All of his soldiers saluted and set to work. They knew that Fire Lord Zuko was right and just. Zuko and Katara left the ship and made their way toward his own, with Zuko carrying Katara, as she was too weak to walk.

"Thank you…" Was all the poor waterbender was managed to whisper before her eyes closed and her consciousness was lost.

~~TBC~~

_Hello! I'm taking over 'Save Me From the Pirates' from the awesome author who let me adopt it. So Up to chapter eleven I'm going to save what they had as author notes and ext but after that it'll be up all to me. So the original authors note are _**bold** _while mine are like this underlined and italics. Got it memorized? _

_Okey dokey then until next time_

_See ya around the web! 3_


	2. Chapter 2

**The second chapter is up! Haha yeah yeah it's a day early but you guys like it better that way, right? lol (On my profile I've said that I usually upload on Wednesdays) If it's too long, sorry! And thank you so much to Julymoon for the advice and to Darkness Inside, an anonymous reader, Ruby of Raven, and DeadlyAssult for reviewing and giving me a reason to continue! :D free cake for all of you! **

**Arigatou, ne! Reviews with criticism is very helpful and appreciated, and, as always, completely optional :)**

**Disclaimer: Not mine (as of now...mwahahahahahahahahahaaaa! just kidding, it never will be)**

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_**Chapter 2**_

Zuko returned to the ship, yelling orders and telling his crew a very short version of what happened. Iroh walked up on deck and sleepily rubbed his eyes.

"What is all of this about, nephew? Why—" he looked down and saw Katara. His face turned grim. He took Zuko's arm and partially dragged him to the Infirmary. The old general opened the door and hurried them in. The doctor looked up in surprise at the sudden intrusion, and his eyes widened at the reason why they had come.

"By Agni…"

Zuko set Katara gently down on the table.

"What can heal her?" he asked, worried. He had not heard from his friend for months, and finding her chained in a pirate ship was more than enough to make him worry. The doctor looked at her wounds. There were whip marks, evidence of flogging, scratches, puncture wounds; her feet looked raw and were covered in blisters, and her arms had rope marks on them: she had been tied up, and very tightly. The doctor took out several medicines, gauzes, bandages, and a large bucket each of water and ice. He warmed the water with fire from his hand. He washed his hands using a clean, damp towel, and was about to begin treating her wounds when there was a sudden loud noise, with several yells joining it. A soldier limped to the open door.

"Pirates… attack…wounded…" he panted, leaning against the door frame. Iroh and the doctor looked alarmed.

"Nephew, you stay here and watch your friend. We will go up there and fight off the pirates!" Iroh yelled, and all three men left, with the doctor carrying a medicinal bag. Zuko sat down and crossed his arms.

'Damn pirates.' He thought, but he knew that he must not go up, because if he were captured… Zuko shuddered. There would be another war, this time for the throne, as Zuko was not married and had no children.

Mai had left him for another man, breaking up with him a week after they had gotten back together. Zuko glared at the wall, recalling how Mai had casually left him. She had no idea how much that hurt, thought Zuko. He was startled as Katara began to move, groaning in pain.

He rolled up his sleeves, cleaned his hands, and began washing Katara's wounds gently with a clean, warm, damp towel. He grimaced at her winces; he knew how it must feel.

"I'm so sorry Katara." He whispered as he rubbed medicine into her wounds. Katara's eyes opened at the sound of her name, and she looked ready to scream from the sting. But when she saw Zuko's face, she relaxed slightly, but whimpered from the pain.

"…Zu…ko…Zu…I…" Zuko smiled gently at her, and held her hand.

"Don't worry Katara, you'll be okay, just hold on." He said softly, stroking her hair, hoping to calm her down. She quieted down, but held his hand tightly. The Fire Lord deftly began bandaging her arm and wrist wounds with one hand (having had plenty of experience during the War), not wanting to loosen Katara's hold on his left hand, but eventually having to. He hoped she could not hear the sounds of fighting from the upper deck as he bound ice packs to her feet. She flinched from the pain and sudden cold, but did not cry. After she was all patched up (Zuko had asked her to roll over onto her stomach so that he could treat her back; the scars were hideous and he had felt another surge of anger at the pirates), he carried her to his room and laid her onto his bed.

"Here are some clothes, I'm sorry, but they're all I have, do you think you can dress yourself?" The Lord asked as he handed her one of his shirts and a pair of pants.

She nodded, smiling, whispering a "Thank you" to him as he closed the door.

Zuko sat in the hallway and sighed, rubbing his temples. The pirates had attacked the ship, but his men had won and there were no casualties, only a whole lot of scratches on the hull. The pirates were arrested and a fourth of his men had invaded the pirate ship, and were currently sailing the people home. Zuko looked at his hands and rested his head against the wall of the corridor. Katara was there.

'Why was Katara there?' He wondered. He knew from several encounters that she was very tough to beat, and that she could take care of herself and did not like being suppressed. She had been so weak, there in the Infirmary. He had been shocked. It was almost like the Katara he knew had been driven deep into her mind; she would not speak above a whisper. But she was recovering very quickly, he noted. Zuko supposed that escaping and seeing himself at the same time had probably shocked her, so, since she had little strength due to malnourishment, she had fainted. He frowned.

That didn't explain her whispering…he whirled around as his door opened suddenly. Katara smiled slightly at him, wearing his crimson shirt and black pants. Her hair was down, wavy and dark, but it was in want for a wash. Zuko looked at her for a moment, his mouth slightly opened, until he remembered himself and quickly stood up, banging his head on the door handle. Katara giggled softly. Zuko grinned, wincing a little, but managed to look fine as he escorted Katara to the dining room. Iroh was already there with lots of hot food. Katara gazed in wonder at all the food, not having seen more than a loaf of bread to be shared among all of the captives per week, and looked at Zuko for some sign of approval.

He nodded and led her to a chair. She smiled her thanks at him and began to eat hungrily. Zuko stood shocked for a moment, his eyes wide, but then recovered himself and sat at his chair at the head of the table (he was, after all, Fire Lord). There were two loaves of bread, three kinds of soups and stews, a fruit basket, a plate of grilled meats, some chopped vegetables, a few bowls of rice, moon-peach wine, crystal clear water, and a bowl of something mushy-looking. Iroh looked slightly alarmed and amused.

"Miss Katara, you must slow down! You will make yourself sick if you eat too fast!" Katara heard him, grinned sheepishly, and slowed down. Fire Lord Zuko looked oddly at the bowl of… whatever it was, and offered it to Katara. She looked at it in curiosity.

"What is it?" She asked, with her head to the side. Zuko blushed bright red, almost matching his robes.

"I—, er… it's… they're sea prunes! My Uncle, uh, found them at a stall, and, um, bought them. I tried to stew them, like I knew you liked…" He trailed off, looking away, obviously embarrassed. Katara beamed.

"Zuko, that's so kind of you!" Her blue eyes twinkled as she said that softly, although it was obvious that she was trying to exclaim it louder. She took the bowl and looked at it, then, using her fork, placed it into her mouth and began to chew thoughtfully. Her face changed into something unreadable, and Zuko began worrying. Katara swallowed, and looked at him gratefully.

"It tastes wonderful!" She said, then added: "but it tastes different from the Southern Water Tribe style. More like Northern Water Tribe style…" but Zuko looked happy all the same. She had liked it and that was all that matters. But then Katara's face fell.

"Miss Katara, what's wrong?" Asked General Iroh as, he too, took notice of the change. Katara sniffled and dabbed at her eyes with a napkin.

"It's just, eating these reminds me of my home, and, and when I think of that, I think of what happened, and the pirates, and, and—" She broke down crying, unable to help it. Iroh looked grave.

"I think dinner's over." Zuko looked at his uncle, who nodded and began clearing up the table. The Fire Lord gently picked up Katara bridal style and carried her back to his room. Opening the door, he found her old, dirty gray robe that she was wearing on the ship folded neatly and lying innocently on the floor of his cabin. He set her down on his bed and kneeled, picking up the offensive garment. He looked her in the eye and asked her,

"Katara, may I burn this?" She nodded her head violently 'yes'.

"Please. Destroy it, burn it, and curse it to Koh," She then pleaded and Zuko nodded before walking out.

Katara calmed herself down, but started to hiccup. She cursed herself angrily.

'Here you are in Fire Lord Zuko's room, and you're crying like a child! Dinner was ruined because of you, how thoughtless!' Her self-chastising was interrupted by Zuko who had returned, holding a napkin.

"Here, Katara," The black haired teenager offered as he came back into the room, but was almost knocked off his feet when Katara ran to him, hugging his waist tightly.

"Woah, Katara, let me breathe!" He joked. It worked. She accepted the napkin he was offering and smiled through blurry, red-rimmed eyes at him.

"Thanks, Zuko." He noticed that her voice was getting stronger. He smiled, and turned and closed the door. Katara looked confused.

"Zuko, what are you—" He held a single finger up to which she paused.

"I want to ask you a few questions. If I thought letting you sleep and asking you tomorrow would be less painful to you, I would, believe me. But I know it'll be worse. So I'm asking you now. I'm sorry." Katara shook her head again.

"No, no; it's fine, I'll *hiccup* be okay, what is it you want to know?" Zuko took a deep breath.

"Did the pirates dishonor you?" He straight out asked, worry evident in his eyes, though knew there would be no other softer way to ask. Katara started to laugh slightly hysterically.

"Is this what that was all about? You close the door, look so serious, like someone died, and make me think you want me to tell you some war-secret of the pirates and you ask me if I was dishonored? Zuko, that *hiccup* is so kind of you!" She exclaimed through her tears. Zuko was suddenly defensive.

"Yes, that was what it was all about, because what if you were raped? I would have to go kill every single pirate that forced himself on you, and then I'd have to worry about whether or not your health would be okay, or if you were pregnant, and if you think for one moment that I'm going to just let some filthy thief use and hurt one of my greatest friends—" He rambled with a shake of his head, though as he took notice of her dry face and her chuckling it became obvious that nothing happened.

"Well, I'm glad that you're okay. Now get some rest. You looked half dead when I found you." Katara blushed, but then looked around the room, confused.

"Zuko, where shall I sleep?" She asked hesitantly. He rolled his eyes.

"The bed. Duh. Silly, Katara, where did you think you'd sleep? On the floor?" Katara still looked puzzled.

"But then where will you sleep?" Zuko pointed to the carpet on the floor.

"There." She looked scandalized.

"You can't sleep on the floor!" Zuko looked down at her haughtily, challenging her.

"And why not? I am Fire Lord, I can sleep where I please." He said haughtily, and both of them collapsed into fits of laughter at his mock-childishness. Katara wiped some tears of laughter from her eyes, but then turned serious again.

"But seriously. You shouldn't sleep on the floor." The Waterbender looked worried.

"Why not, Katara?" Zuko said, trying his best to look innocent.

"Well, because… because… um, because you'll catch cold." She said lamely, being unable to think of a better excuse. Zuko sighed and hit his palm against his forehead.

"Katara, I will be fine, I'm a Firebender: I have my own body heat. As for you, by Decree of the Fire Lord, you shall sleep on my bed, warm and without worries, because I will be right here, and no one, not even my uncle, has permission to enter my quarters without my saying so. And another thing: you're the only girl on this entire ship. I don't trust you to be in your own room by yourself, because, well, you're a girl, and I'm not trying to be sexist right now, and if I am I apologize, but these men have been at sea for a while, and… well, they might not be able to control themselves at the sight of a beautiful young lady in her room alone…" Katara blushed scarlet.

"Oh… well, thank you Zuko. I, um, well, I guess I'll go to sleep now," She muttered, and went to the bed. Climbing in with difficulty (she stubbornly refused help from Zuko) she then lay in the middle of the bed, marveling at the softness of the mattress and covers. Zuko sat next to her and kissed her forehead softly, his lips ghosting her skin.

"Sweet dreams, Katara." He murmured softly, and grinned at her shock.

"Good night, Zuko." She replied with a wistful, almost lovesick smile. She drifted off to sleep in what seemed like mere seconds, smiling softly again as she watched Zuko lay down to sleep on the carpet. Then she eased her eyes closed as she welcomed the darkness that quietly engulfed her in a spell of deep, black sleep.

Only for moments later did she screamed.

~TBC~

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_I hope you all enjoyed and we're getting more and more into the story! Whoot! Til next time!_


	3. Chapter 3

**I am so, so sorry to everyone who has been waiting for me to update. **

**But the earthquakes have gone, and we have power again (yay!), and I've gotten over my writer's block, so now, here's an update! (The next chapter is almost done, I'm just putting this up. Yes, it's short, and I do regret that).**

**Thank you Julymoon (thanks so much!), Megz95 (don't worry, I will), DeadlyAssult (you're welcome! ), Ruby of Raven (it's gonna get worse! ;3 ), SnoopyGirl213 (such a cute username!), and Zutarawins (thanks!) for all the reviews, support, and waiting for me to update ;D**

**Disclaimer: You know it, I know it, everyone knows it: unfortunately, I do NOT own Zuko (/3) or Avatar: the Last Airbender, because trust me, if I did, boy, that movie would have been a hell of a lot better. Just sayin. **

_Here we go!? _

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**_Chapter_ 3**

She was falling; falling down a deep, bottomless pit. At least, that's what it felt like. After what seemed like hours, Katara hit a hard surface with a thud.

"Ow." She said, wincing. The Waterbender got up and looked around. It was pitch black, but she was illuminated. Suddenly, leering eyes appeared in the darkness. Dozens and dozens of pairs glowed yellow and red in the void. Sinister laughter echoed in her ears.

_Join us, Katara… embrace the darkness… the dark is good… do not be afraid, we won't hurt you… _

"Mom?" She asked out in a frightened tone.

'_Oh, sweetheart, don't worry: you'll be fine if you join the darkness. You can see me again. Yue's here too, weren't you friends?'_ Said her mother's voice. Then Aang's voice floated to her.

_Katara… I'm so sorry, I made a mistake… but it won't happen again, I promise. If you join us, we'll be together again… _

"AAAHHH!" All of a sudden Katara felt extreme pain, and fell to the ground, writhing around, trying to escape from the pain; it was too much to fight.

"NO!" She cried, and felt something clutch her arm.

"Get off me!" She screamed, panicking, because her mind was telling her that the thing was evil, that it would hurt her.

"Katara? Katara, stop, it's okay! Wake up! Katara, wake up!" Twisting and struggling, she hit something hard with her hand. Suddenly, the void vanished, she was back in Zuko's bed, and he was sitting next to her, rubbing his nose.

"Damn Katara, that hurt." He said though not to be mean, as he rubbed the aching skin.

"What happened? You looked like you were having a terrible nightmare. Are you okay?" He asked, concern and worry in his molten gold eyes. Katara looked at him for a minute and collapsed into his arms, shaking and sobbing her heart out. Bewildered, the Fire Lord awkwardly patted her back and stroked her hair, trying to be soothing. They stayed like that for a while; eventually Katara calmed down enough to hiccup and hyperventilate. Zuko held her tight.

"Are you alright? No, wait, I mean, I know you're not, but, do you feel better?" Zuko asked, uneasy with Katara's behavior: this wasn't like the Katara he knew. This one was hurt, troubled, and deeply scared. He so desperately wanted to absorb that pain, that hurt, and destroy it. But, he couldn't. Not unless he knew what was wrong. Katara looked away from him, embarrassed and ashamed.

"I— nothing. It was just a bad dream. There were all these voices… I heard my mother again. And Aang… he…he said that he would take me back if I joined the darkness… but the darkness was so c-cold and there were so many… so many eyes, staring at me, and…and…oh Zuko, I'm so sorry, this is the second time I've cried about something silly… I'm sorry…" She trailed off, tears forming in her eyes again, stinging and hot. Zuko gently turned her head to face him.

"Take you…back?" he inquired softly. Katara nodded through her tears.

"He broke up with me because he said that, as the Avatar, he could not have any ties, so he left me and… flew away…" She muttered as she jerked her head away.

"I'm sorry, Zuko," She added, and looked at him through red-rimmed eyes. Instinctively, Zuko brushed away her tears with his hand and kissed her forehead softly, like feathers lazily brushing against skin from a small breeze on a mild summer's night. Both froze, shocked by what just happened, but Zuko somehow managed to look okay about it. Katara smiled softly, the corners of her mouth just barely rising, and thanked him. Zuko held her hand.

"I'll stay here the whole night, just to wake you up if you have another nightmare, okay? I'll be here, don't worry. Now go to sleep." Katara's face had an unreadable expression, but she nodded and lay back down, clutching Zuko's hand like a child would. She fell asleep once more; as Zuko watched her eyes flutter twice before closing he wished so deeply that he could heal her pain.

It took an eternity to reach morning. Zuko's head was on his shoulder, and he was just about to nod off to sleep (and probably fall off the bed onto the floor) when Katara moved. Alert in a flash, Zuko glanced at her. She stirred again, and yawned, before abruptly sitting up and stared at her surroundings.

"Where in the name of—oh! Zuko!" She exclaimed, and got up to hug him.

"Oof!" Zuko gasped at the force of the hug, and shook his head to stave off sleep.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay. You were having nightmares last night." He smiled at her and was about to offer breakfast when Katara frowned.

"Did I? I don't remember any…" She complemented, and looked at him strangely before giggling.

"Maybe it's you who's been having the nightmares, Zuko!" She laughed gaily and got up off the bed. Puzzled but glad at her happiness, the young Fire Lord quickly got up too.

"Wait here, I should go get you some other clothes to wear—" He started to say, but was stopped by the Waterbender.

"It's fine Zuko. But thanks anyway." She added, smiling. He began to ponder her words, and wondered if he really did fall asleep and simply imagined her nightmares. But then how did I get on the bed? He shook his head and offered Katara his arm and led her to breakfast.

~TBC~

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_Well here we go with another chapter done and we are moving on, getting closer to when I take over. Yay!?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone...**

**I owe every reader out there a big, huge, ashamed, and wayyy overdue apology for not updating for so. damn. long.**

**Gomennasai! x(**

***distributes free cookies and ice cream to everyone***

**Disclaimer: If it were mine, it would be completely Zutara and Taang, and there'd be more people like Jet. Easy bashing dummies ;D**

**SHOUTOUT: Hi, Julianna aka CrazyJulz! Thank you for the numerous reviews xD (This is also to everyone who is reading:) I have everything planned out! Don't worry, hopefully soon (depending on the flow of the story and my lazy $$ slowness) you shall find out Why Katara is having the dreams, What is going on, and what the Hell the whispering is from ;)**

**Don't worry, I have no intention of writing 'Zula', unless Zuko is trying to be mean to her (like she calls him 'Zuzu', which is SUCH an adorable nickname! 3 3 3). I, too, dislike it when writers do that D:**

**Thank you EVERYONE ELSE who complimented my writing. Aww, I blushed -_- I do so dislike blushing **

**RedRoses224: I love your username! It reminds me of Alice in Wonderland :)**

**Julymoon: I shall persevere! I intend to write much, much more as fast as I can! I'm so sorry to everyone! D,:**

**ALSO TO EVERYONE WHO IS READING THIS: I am seriously considering changing my username. If and when I do, I shall write it in one of my stories so you know where to find me. I know its incredibly inconvenient, but... I am the Chaos Angel! :D**

**The sequel to Accidental Kiss will be up in... five minutes!**

**ON WITH THE SHOOOOOW!**

_Let's get this on the road! XD_

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**_Chapter_ 4**

Breakfast was rather awkward, but enjoyable. Iroh had already eaten and had left, so that they would be alone. Which was slightly uncomfortable, because Zuko was still worried for Katara, though she seemed to be enjoying herself and was lightening the mood.

There were loaves of bread, jams, fresh fruit, clear wine, juice, and, of course, water. Katara seemed so different. Zuko rested his chin on his hand as his mind tried to analyze the situation.

'Katara doesn't remember having nightmares. So how did I end up on her bed? Did I sleepwalk? No, I've never sleepwalked. Azula made sure of that. So that rules that out. Look on the bright side! Her voice has returned, and she's happy now! Well, yeah… as long as she's happy…but Aang took that away: she took that hurt and buried it. Damn it Katara, you should stop doing that! You—'

"Zuko?" The Fire Lord's head snapped up.

"Huh?"

"You were staring at your wine. Are you alright?" Katara's smile had managed to worm its way into her voice too, not content with simply being on her beautiful face.

Zuko got the distinct feeling that she was laughing, inside.

"No, I'm fine… just tired…" He mumbled, and blushed. She was probably thinking that he was crazy.

'Staring at wine, you idiot. At least look thoughtful when thinking things over!' He chided himself. He forced a smile: Katara was starting to worry.

When Katara started to worry, it was a subconscious thing, really. She didn't even notice it until she really started worrying. It was cute (in Zuko's royal opinion), but it got frustrating when she would think of others all the time, and barely took time off for herself, even when she was in danger. She wasn't stupid: she took care of her own wounds quickly, so as not to get an infection, but still…

"Katara, would you like to visit the Library?" Katara immediately brightened and forgot her worry.

"You have a Library on this ship?"

"Of course. It's not very big, though."

The Fire Lord offered his arm to Katara and she took it as he led her to the Library.

"I won't mind. Thank you, Zuko!"

(The remains of breakfast lay forgotten until Iroh found the leftovers.)

The Library was in Zuko's second room: only those with permission were allowed in there (It was filled with ancient manuscripts and priceless scrolls: Zuko enjoyed reading). It had shelves all around, and had a comfortable seat in the middle. The room was warm but not stuffy.

Katara looked around in awe.

Zuko allowed himself a small smirk at his cleverness: with Katara distracted, perhaps her nightmares would dissipate.

And it would seem so, judging from her smiles and interest in the scrolls.

She took a particular interest in a gold-embossed scroll describing Waterbending… just like when I got those filthy pirates to help me find the Avatar…remembered Zuko. Her hair was shorter then, and she still wore hair-loopies… his usually stern face allowed a small smile.

There was a knock on the door, bringing Zuko back to reality. Katara did not look up from her reading. Zuko opened the door and saw a bowing officer on the other side.

"Captain?" The Fire Nation man bowed respectfully to his Lord and then to the guest, who remained unaware of what was going on.

"Sir, do we have a heading? Where should we sail to? The men have restocked our supplies and are ready and waiting to leave."

Zuko looked over his shoulder at Katara, who was reaching for a different scroll and began poring over the words, and nodded at his captain.

"We shall leave in ten minutes." Zuko ordered, and his officer bowed once more and left.

He pulled out a map from his stack of scrolls and set it beside Katara.

"Where would you like to be dropped off?" He asked. She looked up from her reading and frowned.

"I…I don't know. I was going to go to Toph's place before I was… before the Pirates kidnapped me… and now I don't know where I should go." Tears started welling up in her cerulean eyes, breaking Zuko's heart. He moved closer to her and gave her a hug.

"Maybe you could send a letter to her." He suggested, pulling away after a minute.

"Let her know what happened. How long were you… There?" Katara looked away as Zuko led her to the chair to sit and rest.

"I don't know. Maybe two, three months." She choked out. Her voice sounded hoarser the more she talked.

Zuko grew worried.

"How about we just tell her everything? We can ask her advice and she can tell you what would be best." His golden eyes searched her face anxiously, but his face was sure of itself, confident.

It was a good thing he learned how to hide his true emotions. He didn't want to worry Katara.

His heart leaped when the corners of her mouth twitched into a half-smile.

"Okay…"

~TBC~

* * *

Mainly filler but not really as much. I promise it'll get better and I'm trying my darnest to not change much from the original author but once it gets to chapter 11 you might see a major change just be aware of that. Til next time. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Oh my gosh. **

**If any of you are left here, please just let me thank you so very much for sticking around even though I had put this on a MAJOR Haitus. Shame, shame, shame on me. **

**Today is a free day, and I will be uploading AT LEAST three chapters today! It's the least I can do for you guys. I'm very sorry, and I hope you enjoy! The next part should come up soon (and I MEAN IT. TODAY. I. WILL. UPLOAD. MORE. DAMN. CHAPTERS! :D )**

**Standard disclaimers apply**

_They do apply please don't think that I own characters, just ideas up to chap 11 so let's get a riding! XD_

* * *

**_Chapter_ 5**

_"Princess… Come to the darkness… Embrace the COLD… Embrace it…"_ Whispers, cold and harsh, tickled Katara's ears as she fell, once again, through the seemingly bottomless emptiness.

'Princess? I'm not a princess… '

Something cold enveloped her body as soothing murmurs were whispered aloud, comforting yet repulsive, entrancing yet terrifying.

"Mom?"

_"Darling, why don't you join the darkness? Your friends are here, and so is your brother…"_ An image of Sokka appeared behind Katara's closed eyelids.

"S-S-Sokka? W-w-what happened to you? And your eyes?" His once-blue eyes were black, tinged with red. He smiled warmly at his sister.

_"This? This is nothing. Just a minor injury, don't worry, little sis. Just welcome the cold, the darkness, and everything will be fine, Princess…"_

Half of Katara's brain begged her to wake up, pleading and beseeching her conscious to end the nightmare, but the other half sat, enchanted, as a child watching a macabre magic show.

_'Wait a minute,'_ She thought; '_I'm not a Princess… Sokka never called me that before…' _

She heard Zuko's voice calling out towards her.

"Katara! Katara, wake up! Please, wake up!"

"Zuko? _Aaaaagh!"_ Hands, cold, clammy, and bony, began clawing at her, tearing her skin, holding and grabbing at her in a frantic attempt to keep her there.

_"Zuko!"_

Abruptly, Katara sat up and began taking in long, shaky breaths. Her skin glistened with a thin layer of sweat, and her hands were fists, tangled in Zuko's bed sheets.

She was alone.

_I am safe._

_No one will hurt me._

_These are just dreams._

_I am safe._

_Zuko will protect me._

_I will protect myself._

_The pirates are gone._

_I am safe._

Katara repeated the words over and over again in her head, trying to clear her mind from the night before.

She sat on the top deck of Zuko's ship, sitting as far up the bow as she could without bringing discomfort on herself.

Although… maybe discomfort may distract me from those… nightmares… Katara mused silently. Sighing and closing her eyes, she continued silently repeating her mantra as she heard the waves crashed against the hull, the birds sing, and the ocean whispering to her.

"Katara?" If she was startled by Zuko's sudden voice, she did not show it. He reached his hand out and touched her shoulder, nearly drawing back when he felt how cold it was.

"Katara?" He whispered again, wrapping an arm around her.

"You're trembling…" Hastily he began warming his body with his inner fire, hoping to calm the Waterbender down. Tears began cascading down her face, dripping on her lap, staining the blue cloth darkly.

"I… I heard my mother again…" She whispered hoarsely.

"And… and Sokka… oh Zuko, Sokka looked terrifying, and…" She buried her head in Zuko's shoulder, crying shamelessly. He patted her back awkwardly, not knowing what to do.

He settled for whispering softly to her, rubbing her back soothingly, and raising his temperature to calm her down.

"Shh… it's okay, Katara… they're just nightmares, they won't hurt you… I'm here…" He looked about to say something more, but suddenly Iroh ran up to them.

"Nephew… Miss Bei Fong has sent a reply."

~TBC~

* * *

_Yeah that's seriously it til next chappy, which I'll put up right now. XD _

_This is the shortest one of them all I am not going to have one again this short, promise, except the next chap, sorry. Well onto to the next chappy, sweet!? Til next time! _


	6. Chapter 6

**I have no idea how Toph stole the letter from her parents. Just... use your impatient, frustrated imaginations, eh? **

**Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA, nor do I own that epic Pirates of the Caribbean line. Just sayin'**

_Closer and Closer, here we go. _

* * *

_**Chapter 6**_

'_Hey Sugar Queen._

_Are you alright? I mean, I've been worried sick and then, out of NOWHERE, Sparky sends me a letter. If he's there with you, remind him that I'm BLIND. _

_Mom and Dad are being super over-protective, so I went to King Bumi and asked him for help. I hope you can read his handwriting. I know I can't! _

_From what I can gather from Princey's message, you were kidnapped by pirates? Sounds terrifying! Did you give them a good hit in the kisser? He said that you weren't raped. Good. Disgusting idiots. _

_Stay with Sparky. Stay safe. _

_Oh, and go home. Maybe you're just really homesick, and that's why you're having nightmares? I don't know. _

_~Toph Bei Fong' _

Katara and Zuko looked up from the messy scroll, smiling slightly at Toph's humor.

"Captain!"

The officer ran up to the two.

"Sir?"

"We have our heading! Make full speed to the Southern Water Tribe."

A week crawled by, slow as a snail. Katara's nightmares were occurring more and more frequently, and Zuko was growing extremely worried.

She would settle down for a nap and would wake up screaming.

She would be sparring with Zuko on deck and see horrific visions, and then start recklessly fighting her hallucinations.

On one occasion, she nearly fell overboard, desperately calling out to Sokka, hallucinating him drowning. The crew was becoming increasingly nervous, wondering if she would have a mental breakdown just like Zuko's sister.

But, they did anything and everything in their power to help Katara. They would play games with her to distract her; they would slip potent drugs into her tea to give her dreamless slumbers; and they hurried with all speed towards the South Pole with the hope of saving one of the heroes of the War.

Zuko sighed and rubbed his temples, trying to clear out his head and figure out what in the name of Agni was going on.

Katara was kidnapped by pirates.

She was not dishonoured, but there are several wounds all over her.

She is perfectly normal during the day, almost just like the Katara I knew, but speaks in a hoarse voice or in whispers when talking about the pirates or her dreams.

So, there is a connection between her voice and her nightmares.

Therefore, something obviously happened in that hull.

Maybe she saw someone being tortured to death?

No, that doesn't make sense: the pirates would want their prisoners alive, to get more money out of them, and they wouldn't beat a person to death unless they were enemies…

What about Aang?

Maybe their break-up has something to do with this?

It's a thought…

Maybe Katara caught a foreign fever in the brig? And maybe it's messing with her mind. Yeah, that would make sense… wait… no, not really… Katara would never hallucinate stuff like that… The 'cold'? Why in Agni's name would 'cold' be bad in her nightmares? She's from the South Pole, she grew up with freezing temperatures! This is all so… ugh. So she's most likely got a fever…

He laid his head down on his desk and groaned. He knew little about fevers and less on how to cure them, unless they were normal illnesses.

"…Zuko?" The young Fire Lord sat up suddenly, quick enough to make him see stars from the sudden change in blood pressure. He winced and applied pressure to his head to make it go away faster. There was a soft giggle from the doorway.

"You okay?" Katara asked softly, smiling at her friend. He grinned up at her and gave her a gentle shove.

"You're making fun of me!" He expressed, teasing her. She blushed but rolled her eyes.

"Oh, no, I'd be much too afraid to tease a Fire Prince." She countered. Zuko stood up, looking down at her.

"That's Fire Lord, thank you very much." He grinned, and took up a sparring stance. Katara followed his lead and searched for a source of water, when she noticed that his window was open. Grinning, she bended the ocean to her will and began fighting with Zuko in his cabin, taking extra care to not dampen any documents.

Instead, she dampened his hair.

Countering his attack with a wall of seawater, she raised another wall, this one of steam, and crept around so that she was behind Zuko, and bended a waterball to dump on his ponytail. He hissed at the sudden cold hitting his head and whirled around.

"Cheater." He grumbled. Katara smiled sweetly.

"Winner!" She corrected.

There was a sudden jolt of the ship, strong enough to knock the young Waterbender off her feet and land into the arms of the Lord. Both of them blushing, they climbed up on deck to see what was going on.

The captain bowed to his guest and gestured vaguely off-ship.

"Welcome home, Miss Katara."

~TBC~

* * *

_Yay, that's the end of short chappies!_

_Yep we're home now back at the freezing South Pole, let's see what happens next._


	7. Chapter 7

**H'okay, last chapter for today.**

**I UPDATED! WOO! BREAK OUT THE CONFETTI~! hahaha just kidding, it was about time for me to move my lazy a$$... ^^;**

**Patty Cake Rocks, thank you for your review! I tried! Hahaha**

**SnoopyGirl213, do I detect a hint of... *gasp* Sarcasm? Hahaha jk sorry they're short...**

**CrazyJulz16, I UPDATED! Hey... CrazyJulz? CrazyJulz? ... uh oh. She died from lack of updates... O.o (everyone, shhhhh! The police don't know, and they're not gonna know, okay?) Heheheh**

**Julymoon, ...I'm terribly sorry for the lack of updates. I'm pretty sure you're disappointed and... I hope this makes up for it? (Me: Not a chance :/ )**

**CasperAce13, thank you for your keen observation. I shall try to not make the same mistake again, but at this point it's kind of late, so let's all pretend Katara's feet are VERY quick healers? :)**

**RedRoses224, (love the name btw) I hope this suffices? **

**ALRIGHT, on with the shooooooow!**

_Only two more to go!_

* * *

**_Chapter 7_**

The frigid air of the South Pole was filled with cries of rejoice and surprise. The Southern Water Tribe had not seen a Fire Nation Warship since that fateful day when Aang reawakened, and many wondered what news it brought from the other lands.

As the boarding ramp was lowered, Katara ran over it (causing Zuko to shout "Be careful!" at her as it was still moving) and rushed to embrace her father, Chief Hakoda. It was a teary and happy reunion as father hugged daughter with love and worry. Zuko and Iroh walked down the ramp (once it was fully down) and bowed low to Katara's father.

"Chief Hakoda," greeted Fire Lord Zuko. Iroh smiled at the puzzled warrior and proceeded to shake his hand.

"Hello, sir!" He said, his voice jolly. The villagers immediately warmed up to them after seeing that they weren't under any threat and that their Waterbender was back with them.

Katara whispered something in her father's ear and looked at her friend, giggling slightly. Then, her face changed into one of grave seriousness, as she whispered in his ear some more. Hakoda looked from his daughter to the slightly uncomfortable Fire Lord and walked up to him.

"My daughter says very interesting things. I think we should have a talk, the three of us. If your uncle wishes to join us, he may."

Zuko glanced uneasily at his uncle and nodded, following the two into a large igloo, as he wondered what Katara had said.

…..

It was a long and uncomfortable hour as Hakoda grilled Zuko for details on what happened. He asked many questions and looked extremely worried. Not that Zuko could blame him. After all, his only daughter had joined forces with several other teens and had set out to save the world, and then lost her boyfriend, and then got herself kidnapped by filthy, lusty pirates.

At least Zuko wasn't the only one uncomfortable. Katara was blushing profusely when Hakoda asked about the two, inquiring whether or not they were "together", and if they had sex, and if they did, did they use protection?

After several things were cleared up (Katara soundlessly begged Zuko to not mention her nightmares), Hakoda nodded, mostly satisfied and yet still worrying and curious, emerged from the igloo to face his tribe. He made a long speech about what had happened, and captivated the listeners as he described how a Fire Lord had saved his beloved daughter. Once he finished the story, he clapped his hands twice.

"That's the signal for dinner." A Water Tribe girl whispered to Zuko. Giggling, she took Zuko's hand (she couldn't have been more than twelve) and led him to the Dining Hall.

It was a sort of misnomer, actually. It wasn't a hall, it was just a rather large igloo made sometime during the absence of Hakoda's children. Zuko and Iroh joined Hakoda, Gran Gran, and Katara at the far end of the igloo, where they were served sea prunes and something that vaguely looked Fire Nation.

Regardless, the food was delicious and the fires warm.

After dinner, several younger children surrounded Katara and began cooing over her, asking about her adventures and braiding her hair, trying to help as much as possible. They gasped when Katara showed them some of her scars, and listened in awe as she recounted (and possibly exaggerated just a bit) about her adventures with the Avatar. Zuko smiled. Evidently, she was having fun being treated like royalty by the children.

He jumped slightly when Hakoda began talking to him.

"Will you be staying the night?" He asked softly, though still in a curious tone. Zuko shook his head politely.

"I wouldn't want to impose, sir, and besides, I have a ship. We'll be gone by tomorrow morning, if you want." Hakoda sighed.

"You needn't hurry off. I'm sorry if I scared you a bit. I'm just… so worried about my little Katara. Well, she's not little anymore… but still I am concerned for her… she flies around the world and gets in fights and spies, breaks in, and steals. Not that it was bad, during the war… I'm just worried that some of Her supporters will want revenge on my daughter… Thank you so much for rescuing her." He said, turning to face Zuko.

"We're all grateful to have her back with us. What can we do in return?"

Zuko looked taken aback.

"N-n-nothing, sir." He finally stated nervously, somewhat laughing.

"It's not like we could just leave Katara with those disgusting excuses for humans. Although… would it be too much trouble to ask for permission to anchor here in one month's time?"

Hakoda's face was unreadable. There was a thoughtful pause, and Zuko was beginning to fear the answer when the Chief nodded.

"Of course. Now, it's late. You should get to bed. As should you, Katara." He said, smiling at his daughter, who mock-scowled as she continued walking towards them.

"I'm not eight, Dad. Besides, it's not that la—"

"Katara… go get some sleep." Laughed Zuko. Honest to Agni and back, she looked so cute when she pretended to scowl.

"Sweet dreams…"

~TBC~

* * *

_Only so more to go!_

**A/N: Oooh, is there some speculation on who exactly said 'Sweet dreams'? Guess, hahaha!**

**Oh, and a QUIZ for you dearly beloved, loyal readers out there who've stuck with me this far.**

**Who thinks they know what's happened to Katara?**

**Yes, it has something to do with Pirates. Zuko's got a close guess, too... (mwahahaha)**

**Until next time! (Hopefully by next week, but NO LATER THAN THAT. If it is, I give you all permission to shoot me with a BB gun. Really.) Heheheh, take care!**

_Good chapter and then we finally the next one then mine start, chapter 9 **NOT **11 I counted wrong, so get ready for that. Til next time!_


	8. Chapter 8

**Kind of OOC: my apologies. **

**Short... I know :/  
But we're getting there, we're getting there :)  
OH. And, for this story, just forget Katara gave the waterbending scroll away. It'll help my story along.**

**Enjoy!**

**Oh, and Julymoon... YOU'RE BACK! *squeeze hug* OMG I MISSED YOUUUUUUUU! **

**But enough with the overreaction! ON WITH THE SHOW!**

**Sorry to cut the drama short. Heheh.  
Another short chapter. My apologies. Still, better than nothing, eh?**

_Last one then my turn, whoot whoot!?_

* * *

**_Chapter 8_**

Katara yawned as she woke up and stretched, before freezing and glancing around her bed.

'_This isn't Zuko's bedroom… ' _Glancing around nervously, she saw that she was in her old home in the South Pole. Giggling nervously, she hit her head with the palm of her hand and muttered insults at herself.

"Silly Katara, that wasn't a dream! You really _are _home, you stupid ninny!" Laughing, she began dancing by herself in the cramped space, when she suddenly heard lots of shouting outside. Her face paled.

'_No freaking way… ' _Dashing outside, she saw Zuko, Iroh, and several Fire Nation crewmembers walking up the ramp to their ship, their arms laden with several packages of food.

'_Zuko's leaving?"_

Running to her rescuer, she looked up at him.

"What's going on? Where are you going?" She asked, panicking slightly. They had only just arrived! She was planning to show Zuko some of the most beautiful icebergs around, and…

Zuko smiled and set his stuff down on deck before returning to hug her tightly.

"We'll only be gone a month, Katara. And I promise, I'll find out why you're having nightmares. I'll save you. Promise." He whispered into her ear, and with that, after he backed away he gave her a final wave before ordering his crew to set sail.

The next fifteen minutes happened too fast for Katara to comprehend.

Zuko. Zuko was gone. And for a month, she'd have no news of the outside world.

Sinking to her knees, she realized just how much she had wanted Zuko to stay. Clawing mindlessly with one hand at the snow on the ground, she watched as the iron ship sailed over the horizon and left them, her world*, and herself.

Picking herself up, she ambled towards her bed in her igloo and crawled in, burrowing into the countless blankets and fur pelts, and went into a troubled sleep.

"_Sweet dreams, … my Princess…_" A cold voice cackled somewhere.

The chilly wind from the sky and the salty spray from the sea blew Zuko's long, shaggy hair away from his face and plastered it to his head. He had taken his hair out of his ponytail and cut it: it was getting annoying, and, though he should have looked every bit as royal as he was…

At the moment, he just didn't care. Katara's welfare was more important.

_I hope she's doing all right in the South Pole. Who am I kidding? She'll be safe… ' _He thought, though a strange sense of uneasiness began to pool in his lower abdomen.

'_She'll be safe… _

_Right?'_

"Nephew, _what _are you doing, sitting on the rail of the ship? If you fell, you would ruin your perfectly good clothes." Called the amused voice of his uncle, from behind him. Zuko ducked his head and grinned to himself.

"Oh, so nothing will happen to _me _if I fall? Just my clothes? Seriously Uncle, you should think about the crewmen too! They'll have to pull me up, and won't that tire them?" Called back Zuko as he looked at his uncle over his shoulder. He had missed their friendly bantering.

Iroh smiled mischievously.

"Oh, really, Nephew? I was under the impression that we'd have to leave you behind: Captain's got a bad back and the crew is still cold from our trip!"

Zuko feigned horror, and turned to face his uncle, who merely laughed at the sight of Zuko's expression.

"Hahaha, yes… yes, you _should_ be afraid," The old general winked. "But do not worry, Fire Lord Zuko, we most likely won't leave you behind. Would you care for some tea?"

"Yes please, Uncle." Zuko swung his legs around and jumped so that he landed on the deck.

They walked silently to Iroh's personal Tea Room and Zuko sat down as his uncle prepared him some jasmine tea.

"Zuko…" His voice turned grave. "I know you're worried about Miss Katara, as are we all. You seek to cure her… _dilemma_, to put it delicately. And, you know that there are many libraries in the world, filled with ancient scrolls and books alike, but Zuko," He leaned in a little closer.

"Where will you start?" He asked, worriedly. "Where you go, I will follow, but I would like to know _where _we shall start at, and _what _we will be seeking. It does no good if a beggar knows not what he begs for."

Zuko sighed and ran a pale, elegant hand through his starkly contrasting untidy hair.

"Wan Shi Tong," He said heavily after a long pause.

"We'll go first to the Hidden Library of Wan Shi Tong."

Iroh leaned back with a wise nod of his head, and quietly sipped some tea. Zuko reckoned that that library would be the best place to start. All that they needed was some 'knowledge' to contribute, proof that they were using it for good, and—

"Nephew, you do realize that the Library is _hidden_, correct? How shall we get there?"

Zuko froze for a moment. '_Damn. I didn't think of that. '_

He sighed again and thought for a moment.

"Sokka said that the Library was buried underground. So… we'll need Earthbenders to lift it back up, or uncover it." Iroh chuckled grimly.

"Fire Lord Zuko, you realize that that would take many Benders to move, correct? Miss Bei Fong will not be able to lift it by herself."

"No, she won't… We'll need to recruit Haru, his father, King Bumi, Toph, and maybe the Kyoshi Warriors will know of other Earthbenders. So we'll go to Omashu first, and then…"

"Nephew, why do you leave out the Avatar? He could greatly help with our endeavour…" Iroh was genuinely curious. To most people, the young Airbender would be the first choice that would come to mind. Zuko looked away.

"I… Air is the opposite of Earth, and I thought perhaps the Avatar would have some trouble…? And that he would not appreciate being interrupted in his numerous duties and responsibilities to do something he did not particularly like."

Iroh sensed hesitation in Zuko's words. True, they weren't lies, but something was being left out, and Iroh would not be ignorant of this.

"He is the Avatar, Fire Lord Zuko. He has to do many things he does not 'particularly like'. There is something else… isn't there?"

_Caught._

Of course, Zuko knew that Iroh's sense of perception was great, for he was a great warrior and a legendary general, but he had not expected Iroh to catch on so soon. His resolve to keep his grudge quiet wilted.

"Why do you not want the Avatar accompanying us, Nephew?" Iroh asked with a firm voice, knowing it was best for Zuko to admit it, whatever 'it' may be.

Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Zuko looked Iroh in the eyes.

"Aang hurt Katara."

~TBC~

* * *

_As I said last time I counted wrong so next it's my time and my stories!?_

_*** Her world: the South Pole, since that was her home and literally, her world before Aang, before the attacks, and before her mother's death. And even then, it was still her world, a safe haven. (I'm attempting to be dramatic, so bear with me, lol)**_

******_** "left them, her world, and herself": borrowed from J K Rowling's**_** Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, **_**when Dumbledore dies. **_

_**A/N: Katara's just disoriented and shocked that Zuko left. She'll get better in the next chapters!**_

**OH! and before I forget: Nah, Iroh didn't say "Sweet dreams," in the last chapter. That would be Hakoda, seeing as he had absolutely no idea that that may have been a mad thing to say, seeing as Zuko did not tell him of Katara's nightmares.**

**A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUUUN. Betcha didn't see THAT one coming, now, did you? Heheheh sorry for the wait!**

**A/N: DUNDUNDUUUUUUN! Zuko's feelings for Katara surface! His resentment towards Aang is finally revealed! Hah. Serves that little Airbender **_**right**_**.**

**Just to warn y'all now, there will be a lot of Zuko/Aang fighting/tension planned for later on. BUT THIS IS STRICTLY ZUTARA. NOT whatever you crazies call Zuko/Aang :)**

_NOW that this is it from the previous author it is all up to me, I'll write the next chapter my way and hopefully you'll like it as much though it will be different in some ways I assure you. Til next time. _


	9. Chapter 9

_Now that I'm taking over let's hope I can still keep this up! Hope you all enjoy and please review to tell me what you think please and thank you. _

* * *

_**Chapter Nine **_

Iroh nodded silently as he comprehended the words from his nephew. It made sense as to why Zuko would not want to involve the Avatar but still they would need all the help to lift the ancient building from beneath the earth. There was however a bigger problem at hand then this.

"Zuko, I do understand your reasoning." The general started after taking a sip of his tea, and Zuko listened intently for what will be said was going to be very serious.

"But I must first bring up two problems with your plans. The Avatar may have hurt Lady Katara but that does not mean we should not confront him about this matter. He may even know what is wrong for he has the past knowledge of all the other Avatars. So I wish you to meditate on your discussion considering him, I am not going to tell you what to do but I merely offer a suggestion."

"Yes, Uncle." The golden eyed teen nodded and made a reminder to think more on it later.

"Now onto the later problem, it's this trip all together, Zuko. You are the Fire Lord now. You are meant to be ruling the Fire Nation. This trip we have taken in the first place was only to be a short one to visit the other Nations to understand what they would like to be done to help recover from the war. You got distracted with Lady Katara on board, which was okay since we were still suppose to be on this trip, but now the time is ending and I fear that the generals you left in charge will not be able to continue without you there. Do you really think we should do this trip?"

Zuko sat there frozen. He had no idea what to say! He felt ashamed at himself for forgetting his own Nation. He had fought so hard to rule, to sit on the throne, and now he was turning his back on it, and just for a girl.

'_But this isn't just a girl! It's Katara! She's my friend.' _His mind added in slyly almost with an amused chuckle to it. It was true that Katara was his friend but would she understand that he had to return to his homeland and rule instead of help her, even after he had promised to find a cure. Then again would his home understand why he would not return only to help one of the saviors of the world.

"I'm sorry, Nephew, I-"

"No. No, Uncle. It's alright. You make an excellent point." Zuko admitted with a heavy sigh before finishing his cup of tea in one gulp. The point was excellent but so difficult to choose what was right.

"I'm just not sure what to do." He allowed his thoughts to be heard to the wise old general, who could only nod in understanding.

"I know, Nephew, I can see it in your eyes. Understand that no matter what you decide I will help you in achieving the goal that will lie ahead, but I just wanted you to be aware of all the pieces that needed to be considered. I'll leave you for the night and in the morning tell me what you have come to as your decision." With that Iroh excused himself, talking away the tray of tea, though patted his relative on the shoulder before leaving the room.

Zuko got up and moved into his meditation sitting area seating himself in front of the row of candles, which alit themselves once he was crossed legged. He cleared his mind only to think about the two choices and the pros and cons of each. It was truly a match of each but he did have to choose one. He had no time to write a letter to the ganng to ask for advice nor if he could have the generals rule for just a little longer.

His country would have to wait! That was the best option! Katara was the best healer and waterbender of the world. She needed to be in top health if anything in the Nations was to change, especially in his Nation. He needed her help, which she could not give if she was unwell. He would have to swallow his pride and face the Avatar, though at this point he was more likely to strangle the Airbender for what he did to the blue eyed girl.

Zuko nodded, opening his eyes slowly, which as he did the flames went out on the candles. He rose from the floor and walked to his door. He needed to tell his Uncle and the captain his plans immediately. They could not wait, action needed to be taken as soon as possible.

And it would all start as soon as they arrived at the Western Air Temple.

"Uncle, we are going to the Avatar. I made a promise and I intend to keep it." He announced as he walked into the captains quarters where his Uncle was playing Pai Sho with the members of crew who were on break.

"Captain, take us to the Western Air Temple."

"Yes, sir." The sailor agreed turning the ship. Iroh rose from the game, letting the poor losing crew member get a few extra minutes of think of a move that will help him win, and stood next to his nephew.

"You will not fight with the Aang when we get there, will you?" The old general asked casually though truthfully he knew that was inevitable. Teenage boys will fight for that was built into their DNA.

"I will not promise to do so, if he wishes to fight about a subject then I shall fight but not harm. I just want him to pay for what he did to Katara."

"Are you saying that out of friendship, or maybe something else?" Iroh complemented and chuckled as all he got as a response was a deep blush along his relatives face.

~TBC~

* * *

_Now we have the end of my first chap and it's all me from now on. I hope you all enjoy. _

_ I hope I'm doing okay as I'm now. If you have any ideas to help or what you would like to see then please tell me. Have a good one and until next time._

_See y'all around the web 3_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

~Arrive only to fight!~

The arrival to the temple was hard for the ship had to be docked and a small group of soldiers, handpicked by Zuko, as well with Zuko and Iroh had to travel to the temple by rhino-lizard. Though, once that was out of the way, they were greeted with gusto from the Avatar, who ran up to Zuko in glee.

"Zuko!" Aang exclaimed after releasing the Fire Lord and stepping back still with a big old smile.

"What brings you here?"

Before Zuko or any of them could answer, Zuko was pulled forward by a force under his feet until he was surrounded by arms again. This time they were thinner but stronger, though they were kind of crushing him.

"Sparky!? I knew that was you!" Toph smiled as she finally released the taller teenager only to punch him in the arm.

"OUCH!"

"Where's Katara? Why aren't you with her?" The earthbender scorned by shoving her hands on her hips and looking extremely angry, though truly it didn't work to the full extent since she wasn't looking eye to eye with the Fire lord.

"That hurt, Toph! Why can't you ever let me explain anything before you throw something at me?" Zuko groaned as he rubbed his defiant-going-to-be-bruised later left arm, flinching slightly when he applied pressure to where the fist had connected with skin.

"Oh quite your whining and tell me where is Katara! I don't feel her with you even though I know I gave both of you instructions to stay together." Toph said firmly and Zuko only sighed as he knew somehow he would have to explain his actions.

He really wasn't ready to face the young earthbender, if he was completely truthful. He thought that if he had arrived at the Air Temple then all he would need to do was deal with Aang and then he would figure out a way to go one direction while the Avatar could go another and pick up Toph on the way. Now he would have to deal with both of them, and if he got Aang mad and had to fight him, he might also have to fight the Bai Fong girl since he did leave Katara's side.

"I'm waiting, Zuko!" Toph growled and the Fire Lord sighed as now she meant serious business. He could count on his hand alone how many times the blind girl had said his actual name and none of those times had been decent. He sighed once more and ran a hand down his face.

"She's home. I brought her there about three days ago now. I have come for help from you and Aang." Zuko began as he looked to the Avatar and then back to Toph.

"Toph, you know of this but Aang, Katara has a disease consuming her. She can't sleep and when she does nightmares take over her to the point only to wake her is by herself screaming in pain. She got it from pirates, ones that have captured her-"

"What! What do you mean pirates captured her? When!" Aang shouted as he was now closer, the three of them in a small circle all within arm's reach from one another.

"When she had tried to visit me." Toph spoke up but Aang ignored her as his eyes were set on Zuko.

"When did you find her? Why didn't you write to me and tell me what happened?" The young Avatar was angrily glaring at the taller teen, who could also see his hands shaking at his sides, knowing the bald monk was possibly on the verge of a breaking point. It was always like this when it came to Katara for the boy.

Zuko on the other hand was trying to hold back his own fury. How dare this stupid child yell at him! If it wasn't for what he had done then maybe this wouldn't have happened in the first place! Iroh had held back his men from advancing on the three of them since the general knew that if fists were going to fly then it was better if they just let it happen, which he was sure was bound to break out any moment. He could clear as day see his nephew's anger and hoped that he didn't mess up the Avatar, too much at least.

"Zuko, why didn't you tell me?" Aang pressed again with a hiss and stepped even closer though Toph took a step back. She knew just as much as Iroh that something was going to break and soon.

"I didn't seem it fit to tell you." Zuko growled back with his burning glare, hoping that would make Aang shrink back like he used to when someone was mad at him but apparently this only seemed to make the Avatar angrier.

"Why? We're all her friends! You should have told me, I could have helped her!" That was the final straw.

"Oh and you think I haven't helped her! Help her? It was your fault she was like that in the first place!" Zuko roared as his body erupted steam, making everyone present step back but Aang only flinched lightly before standing his ground again.

"What are you talking about? I didn't do anything to Katara!"

"YOU LEFT HER!" The words seemed to echo around the whole temple, heck it felt like they echoed through the whole world. The whole temple was silenced as Aang's eyes widened then only to glare fiercer than anyone had ever see them.

"You. Are. Wrong." The Avatar said each word slowly as if to calm himself with each syllable, though his eyes still burned with enraged fire.

"Oh, am I?" Zuko spat, now angrier that Aang was denying the truth.

"Yes!" Now it was Aang's words that echoed, though his voice didn't have anger but it was filled with …sadness?

"She left me!" The bald monk screamed and pointed his finger right in front of Zuko's face, who flinched back at the action.

"Don't you dare act as if you were there when it happened! I don't know where you heard what you just said but you are wrong! I never left her! I woke up and she was gone. She only left a stupid note saying that it was over. So don't get angry at me when I did nothing wrong. And you know what you still should have told me! You should have told me what happened, wither we hurt each other or not, I'm still her friend, and I had just as much right to know what happened." Aang had yelled at the beginning of his speech but near the end it had come down to just a hurt and somewhat mad whisper. Tears were leaking down his cheeks though he quickly wiped them away, though they were already showing that he was still the sensitive soul they knew him to be from before Souzin's Comet.

Toph silently sighed and stepped closer between them placing a hand on Aang's shoulder. She squeezed it lightly but didn't do any more only held it.

"Alright, now that is over, let's just focus on the problem at hand. Zuko you said you needed us for help." She asked as her eyes only lingered to the general direction of the ground but the two of them knew she was still at full attention for them. Zuko slightly nodded before breathing in and out, calming himself but wanting to continue this later. It was interesting to know that Katara had left, not the other way around.

"Yes. I feel that Katara's disease can be found in the ancient library of Wan Shi Tong. I know that you all have traveled there once before so I would ask of you to take me there, but we also need to lift it from the earth, so we need more earthbenders."

"I don't think we should go back there." Aang said as he tried to control his breath after his small crying fit. Toph nodded beside him, she hadn't been there in the library but she had heard what happened inside so she complete agreed.

"Why not?" Zuko asked, he didn't know for it was something they never told them while he was with them.

"It's a good idea, Sparky, but there are several problems with the idea. First off, earthbenders won't work just by themselves. Sand is different from earth, I learned that the hard way, and even with me there I still don't think that we could lift the thing." She stated in truth for that building was huge.

"Plus, it's Wan Shi Tong himself, last time we were in the building he attacked us. We used his knowledge for evil as he said so we angered him and we barely escaped. I really don't want to anger him more then we already did, it's not right of us." Aang added as well before sighing. The library was a good idea and even though this time they would be going there for good he doubted that it would help. The spirit was angered greatly and he doubted that it would have ceased by now.

Zuko too sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn't good. The library was his best bet at finding the cure and now it washed away as an idea right before him. He had barely survived taking on dragons with Aang he doubted he would be able to take on an angered spirit. He also didn't want to anger the spirits further by attacking another spirit, plus what would his uncle say. The old general was sensitive about spirits.

"What about the North Pole?" A new voice suddenly spoke up and almost everyone turned to one of Zuko's guards. It was one of the taller ones standing just beside Iroh, and he was actually Zuko's personal and closest assistant from his ship, Len Tang.

TBC…

_**Hope you all like so please review if you do like. Til next time  
See ya around the web! **_


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